Is this a catchall term used to describe cured pork in general or is it and accurate term describing what we today know as bacon. If it is the latter, why would ther be so many wagon loads of just bacon?

Suspect it's at least partly a catchall description, but my understanding is that bacon was bacon. (not salt pork, not ham, not smoked chops, not loins) And why so many wagon loads of just bacon? There are at least two reasons I can think of: the soldiers preferred it and it would keep -- scrape off the mold, heat and eat. There might be another possibility: it was flat. I'm guessing that more rations could be issued from a wagonload of carefully stacked bacon than a wagonload of salt pork in barrels. (and maybe not as heavy.)